Photo enlarging and printing machine



June 20, 1933. J. RODMAN 1,914,461

PHOTO ENLARGING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 3, 1952 Patented June20, 1933 UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE JACOB RODMAN, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH RODMAN, OF

ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS I PHOTO ENLARGING AND PRINTING MACHINEApplication filed November 3, 1932. Serial No. 640,934.

This invention relates to a machine for enlarging andprintingphotographs dlrectly from negatives or developed films carry- -ing theimage onto the usual sensitized printing paper. The general object ofthe present invention is to provide a machine which can be operated toadvantage in connection with strip film, such as used in portablecameras, and which permits an operator to carry out the enlarging andprinting or exposing work properly and expeditiously with a minimum ofexertion.

The machine of the present invention includes a transparent, flatsupport, against which a negative may be placed so as to be initiallyexposed'to the view of the operator, and a source of illumination inback of the support, which is normally dim but which may be intensifiedwhen exposure of the sensitized paper to the light transmitted throughthe negative is desired. It is also provided with a hood, which carriesan enlarging lens and which is normally stationed out of hoodedengagement with the support and negative. The hood is, however, adaptedto be moved over the support and negative, so as to confine the passageof light through the lens and thereby to project and focus the enlargedimage onto the sensitized paper, which can be quickly and accuratelplaced in image-receiving position in t e machine,

The machine is further equipped with means by which the hood may bemoved into focus- "ing position and by which the sensitized paper may besimultaneously clamped in image-receivingposition. It also comprisesmeans by which theinten'sity of illumination may be momentarilyincreased when the hood is brought into its focusing position,

thereby causing the desired action ofthe light on the sensitized paper..The organization of the machine and the assemblage of its parts is suchthat it permits the operator conveniently and with little lost motion toview or examine the negative, to place the proper kind of sensitizedpaper in the ma chine for exposure, and to give the sensitized paper thedesired period of exposure.

'With the foregoing and other features and objects in view, theinvention will now be described in greater detail in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 represents a verticalsection, partly in front elevation, of a machine embodying the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the hood in focusing position.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-'3 of Figure 2, with the hood infocusing position.

Figure 4 shows in perspective the hood, partly broken away for the sakeof clarity.

Figure 5 is a similar view 'of the film support.

The machine of the present invention should be operated in a dark room,for instance a room furnished with red light but otherwise sufiicientlydarkened to permit the desired work to be done. The machine frame mayinclude .four corner posts 10, which stand on the floor and to which ahorizontal work table or film support 11 is anchored at a. distanceabove the floor such that an operator may be seated in front of themachine and conveniently look down on the support. The work table has anopening 12 therethrough, communicating with a box or receptacle 13.which may be suspended from the bottom of the table. As shown, the upperend of the box has flanges 130, which are secured flush with the bottomof the table by bolts 131. The box 13 serves as an enclosure or housingfor a source of illumination, herein shown as an electric lamp 14. Abovethe opening 1'2 is a trans parent film support or Window 15, which may,as shown, take the form of a rectangular piece of glass held in a frame16, which is fastened as by screws 17 to the top of the table. Thenegative or developed film, which, as shown in dotted outline in Figure5, may be a strip 18 carrying a series of photographs, is placed againstthe window 15, which may be masked by opaque paper or other suitableopaque material 19 to pro vide alight-transmitting area 20 of a sizecorresponding to that of each negative being enlarged. It is thus seenthat the window is preferablyv an over-sized one, so that it canaccommodate various sized negatives, the mask in each case being madefor the particular size of negative. In actual practice, it is usuallypreferred to associate suitable condensing lenses (not shown), as isWell known to those skilled in the art, with the lamp 14, and thereby topermit lamps of comparatively low intensity, say lamps of about 500wattage, to be used in realizing the desired intensity of illuminationto be projected through the window 15. This means that the time ofexposure to the image necessary for the sensitized paper will bediminished, for, as is well known, the more intense the light projectedthrough the film, the less is the time required for the exposure of thenegative to the image. A horizontal table 21 for supporting thesensitized paper may be arranged above the table 11, so that it can 'beconveniently reached by the operator,

preferably while in his seated posture. The posts 10 are shown passingthrough bosses or collars 22 located near corners of the table 21 andsecured as by bolts 23 to the posts.

The bosses 22, which may be integral with the table, are verticallyslidable on the posts when the bolts 23 are loosened, thereby permitting the table 21 to be adjusted toward and from the table 11; asdesired. This ad- Th justment makes possible a variation in theenlargement of the image which is projected from the negative to thesensitized pa er, as will presently be described. The 'ta le 21 also hasan opening 24, above which is placed a window 25 held in a frame 26suitably fastened to the top' of the table. The f window 25 serves asthe support for the sen- V 'sitized paper and may be masked like thewindow 15 to define the area over which the paper is to be placed by theoperator.

The projecting means of the present invention consists of a hood 27,which, as best shown in Figure 4, may take the form of a four-sidedpyramid having an outwardly extending flange 28 at its lower edge andcarrying an enlarged lens 29 within an opening at its apex. It may,however, be of a conical or other suitable shape, and be. made of anysuitable opaque material. The hood shown may be hingedly secured at itsrear edge 30 to the rear edge of'theframe 16. The bottom face of theflange 28 is smoothly finished to make a nice fit with the top face ofthe frame 16, wherefore light transmitted through the window 15 and thenegative placed thereon confined through the hood and-the enlarging lens29 so as to be projected through the window 25 onto sensitizedpaper 31placed on the latter window. The paper is, of course, in the path of thecomplete, enlarged image to be projected from the negative. In

order to hold the paper 31 flat against the window 25 and thus to avoiddistortion or blurring of the image received thereby, a flat plate 32whose rear edge 33 is hingedly secured to the rear edge of the frame 26may be arranged to come down on the paper after it has been roperlypositioned on the window 25 by t e operator. Both the late 32 and thehood 27 are, however, normal y tilted upwardly and rearwardly out ofengagement with the paper and film supports, respectively, but may besimultaneously brought downover these supports at the proper time. Tothis end, the plate 32 and the hood 27 may each be pivotally secured toa link 34, which, i

in turn, is pivotally connected to one end of a bell crank 35 rockablyfastened to each of the tables 11 and 21. Both the upper and lower bellcranks are actuated by a vertical rod 36 in back of the machine. Thelower bell crank is pivotally secured to the rod 36, whereas the upperone has a bifurcated end portion loosely engaging the rod 36 between 3rod 36 projects downwardly below the table 11 and is pivotally securednear its end to a treadle 38, which is pivotall secured at anintermediate point 39 to a ug 40 extending rom a rear post 10. Theforward end of the treadle is adjacent to the front side of the machine,so that the operator has ready access thereto. A tension spring 41 istied at its upper end to the rear end portion of the treadle, and at itslower end to the base of the postlO, in consequence of which the rod 36.

is normally kept in a lowered position so as to keep the plate 32 andthe hood 27 in the position shown in Figure 1. By depressing the forwardend of the treadle 38, the operator simultaneously brings the hood 27over the film support and the clamp 32 over the paper support, as shownin Figure 2. At this latter time, it is desirable that the illuminationof the lamp 14 be sufiiciently intense to have the desired action on thesensitized paper, whereas normally the lamp 14 should be su fiicientldim not to affect the sensitized paper. ith the treadle 38 in its normalposition, shown in Figure 1, the electric current is, supplied to thelamp 14 froma suitable source conventionally indicated at 42 and takesthe ath of the arrows a through a re- 7 sistance e ement 43, a contactpiece 44 on the lug 40, a contact piece 45 on the upper side of thetreadle, andthence through the wire 46 to the lamp. When the treadle 38is depressed, however, as shown in Figure 2, the

contact between the pieces 44 and 45. is

broken, and contact is established between a contact piece 47, alsosecured to the lug 40,

- tive and places over the sensitized paper.

and another contact piece 48, secured to the lower side of the treadle.This latter circuit is one wherein the resistance element 43 is shuntedand wherein theflow of current is in the direction of'the arrowsbthrough the conducting wire 49, the switch members 47 and 48, and thencethrough the wire 46 to the lamp. \Vith the resistance disconnected, theillumination of the lamp 14 is intensified sufiiciently so that thedesired action of the light transmitted through the hood 27 to thesensitized paper is had.

In operating the machine, the operator may be seated in front of themachine, in a position to depress the treadle 38 with his foot. He takesthe film or developed negait on the film support, as shown in Figure 5',with the photograph properly registering with the area 20, throughwhich, light is transmitted. Although the light 14 is dim atthis time,it is of suflicient intensity topermit the operator to view thesharpness or distinctness of the image and thus to judge the particularkind of sensitized paper on which the image is to be projected, as wellas the time of exposure necessary to realize the best printing of theimage on the sensitized paper. Having examined the film, the operatorthen places the sensitized paper 31 On the paper support 25 and proceedsto depress the treadle 38 so as to bring the hood 27 into focusingposition and the clamp 32 in clamping engagement He keeps the treadle 38depressed, so as to subject the sensitized paper to the desired periodof exposure, whereupon he removes his foot from the treadle so as to dimthe light 14 and otherwise restore the machine to normalcy. Thesensitized paper 31 may then be removed and the operator may then repeatthe operations, using other film and sensitized paper. The exposed paperis then developed as usual in a dark room and is finally set to completethe job of printing.

An embodiment of the present invention having thus been described, itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications might be made therein without departing from the spirit orscope of invention as defined by the appended claims. 1

1 claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atransparent, flat support against-which a negative may be placed so asto be exposed to View, a source of illumination sufiicient. to rendervisible the photograph carried bysaid negative, a hood carrying L anenlarging lens normally stationed out of-hooded engagement with saidsupport but adapted to bemoved over said su port and negative to confinethe passage of light through said lens, means for holding sensitizedpaper in the path of the light 3 prising in combination a transparent,

support agalnst which a negative may be placed, a source of illuminationin back of r transmitted through said lens, whereby the enlarged imageprojected from said negative through said lens maybe received on saidpaper, means by which said hood may be moved over said support, andmeans for intensifying said illumination While said hood is held oversaid support.

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atransparent, flat support against which a negative may be placed so asto be exposed to View, a source of illumination sufficient to rendervisible the photograph carried by said negative, a hood carrying anenlarging lens normally stationed out of hooded engagement with saidsupport but adapted to be moved over said support and negative toconfine the passage of light through said lens, a transparent, flatsupport located'in the path of the light transmitted through said lensand against which sensitized paper may be placed to receive the enlargedimage projected from said negative through said lens, means by whichsaid hood may be moved over said firstnamed support, and means forintensifying said illumination while said hood is held over saidfirst-named support.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atransparent, flat support against which a negative may be placed so asto be exposed to view, a source of illumination sufficient to rendervisible the photograph carried by said negative, a hood carrying anenlarging lens normally stationed out of hooded engagement with saidsupport but adapted to be moved over said support and. negative toconfine the passage of light through said lens, a transparent, flatsupport located in the path of the light transmitted through said lensand against which sensitized paper may be placed to receive the enlargedimage projected from said negative through said lens, means for adjusting the location of said second-named support relative to said lensso as to increase or decrease the enlargement of said image, means bywhich said hood may be moved over said first-mentioned support, andmeans for intensifying said illumination while said hood is held oversaid first-named support.

4. A machine of the class described, comsaid support, a hood carrying anenlarging lens normally out of hooded engagement with said transparentsupport and negative but adapted to be moved over said support andnegative to confine the passage of lightthrough said lens, atransparent, fiat support against which sensitized paper may be placedand stationed in the path of the light transmitted through said lens,whereby the image projected from said negative through said lens can bereceived on said paper, a.

plate for clamping said paper flat against neous tiltin saidsecond-named support but normally held in non-clamping position,manually-operat ed means for simultaneously moving said hood over saidfirst-named support and said plate'into clamping position, and means forintensifying said illumination while said hood is held over saidfirst-named support and while said plate is in clamping position- 5.Apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atransparent, flat,

orizontal support against which a negative may be placed, illuminatingmeans under said support, a hood carrying an enlarging lens normally outof hooded engagement with said transparent support and negative butadapted to be moved over said support and negative to confine thepassage of light through said lens, a transparent, flat, horizontalsupport against which such sensitized paper may be placed located abovesaid firstnamed support and in the'path of the light transmitted throughsaid lens, whereby the image projected from said negative through saidlens can be received on said paper, a plate for clamping said paper flatagainst said second-named support but normally held in non-clampingposition, a rod to which both said hood and said plate are tiltablyconnected, spring means acting upon-said rod to tilt said hood and saidclamp simultaneously to their normal positions, said rod being manuallymovable to overcome said spring means and to cause a simultaeoustiltingmovement of said hood over said first-named support and said plate intoclamping position, and. means for intensifying said illumination whilesaid hood is held over said first-named support and while said plate isin clamping position. I

6. Apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination atransparent, flat, horizontal support against which a negative may beplaced, illuminating means under said support, a hood carrying anenlarging lens normally out of hooded engagement with said transparentsupport and negative but adapted to be moved over said support andnegative to confine the passage of light through said lens, atransparent, flat, horizontal support agaist which such sensitized papermay be placed located above said firstnamed support and in the path ofthe light transmitted through said lens, whereby the image projectedfrom said negative through said lens can be received on said paper, aplate for clamping said paper against said second-named support butnormally held in non-clamping position, a rod to which both said hoodand said plate are tiltably connected, spring means acting upon said rodto tilt said hood and said clamp simultaneously to their normalpositions, a treadle arranged below said first-named support andoperable to actuate said rod so as to cause a simultamovement of saidhood over said first-name support and said plate into clamping osition,and means for intensifying said il umination while said hood is heldover said first-named support and while said plate is in clampingosition.

7. Apparatus of t e class described comprising in combination atransparent, flat support against which a negative may be placed so asto be exposed to view, a source of illumination sufiicient to rendervisible the photograph carried by said negative, a hood carrying anenlarging lens normally stationed out of hooded engagement with saidsupport but adapted to be stationed over said support and negative toconfine the passage of light through said lens, means for holdingsensitized paper in the path of the light transmitted through said lens,whereby the enlarged image projected from said negative through saidlens may be received on said paper, means for causing relative movementbetween said hood and said support to bring said hood into hoodedengagement with said support and to confine through said negative andlens, and means for intensifying said illumination while said hood isheld oversaid support.

8. A photographic printing and enlarging apparatus comprising atransparent, flat support against which a negative may be placed andilluminated so as to be exposed to view, a hood carrying an enlarginglens normall stationed out of hooded engagement wit said support butadapted to be moved over said support and negative to confine the lightpassing through said negative and lens, a transparent, flat supportlocated in the path of the light transmitted through said lens andagainst which sensitized paper may be placed to receive an enlargedprojected image of the negative, a movable clamping member adapted toclamp the sensitized paper onto said second-named support, and means forsimultaneously bringing said first-named support and said clamp intoclamping engagement with said second-named support.

9. A photographic printing and enlarging apparatus comprising atransparent, flat support against which a negative may be placed andilluminated so asto be exposed to v1ew, a source of illumination in backof said support sufiicient to render visible the photograph carried bysaid negative, a hood carrying an enlarging lens normall stationed outof hooded engagement wit said support but adapted to be moved over saidsupport and negative to confine the light passing through said negativeand lens, a transparent, flat support located in the path of the lighttransmitted through said lens and against which sensitized paper may beplaced to receive an enlar ed projected image of the negative, amovafile clamping memthe light passing izo ber adapted to clamp thesensitized paper on said second-named support, means for simultaneouslybringing said hood into hooded engagement with said first-named supportand said clamping member into clamping engagement with said second-namedsupport, and means for intensifying said illumination while said hood isheld over said firstnamed support.

10. A photographic printing and enlarging apparatus comprising atransparent, fiat support against which a negative may be placed andilluminated so as to be exposed to view, a source of illumination inback of said support suflicient photograph carried by said negative, ahood carrying an enlarging lens normally stationed out of hoodedengagement with said support but adapted to be moved over said supportand negative to confine the light passing through said negative andlens, a transparent, fiat support located in the path of thelighttransmitted through said lens and against which sensitized papermaybe placed to receive an enlarged projected image of the negative, amovable clamping member adapted to clamp the sensitized paper onto saidsecond-named support, an means for simultaneously into hooded engagementwith said firstnamed support and said clamping member into clampingengagement with said secondnamed support and for intensifying saidillumination.

11. A photographic printing and enlarging apparatus comprising atransparent, fiat support against which a negative may be placed andilluminated so as to be exposed to view, a source of illumination inback of said support sulficient to render visible the photograph carriedby said negative, a hood carry ing an enlarging lens normally stationedout of hooded engagement with said support but adapted to be moved oversaid support and negative to confine the light passing through saidnegative and lens, a transparent, flat support located in the path ofthe light transmitted through said lens and against which sensitizedpaper may be placed to receive an enlarged projected image of thenegative, means for adjusting the distance between said first-namedsupport and said secondnamed support, a movable clamping member adaptedto clamp the sensitized paper onto said second-named support, and meansfor simultaneously bringing said hood into hooded engagement with saidfirst-named support and said clamping member into clamping engagementwith said secondnamed support and for-intensifying said illumination.

In testimony signature.

whereof I have afiixed my JACOB RODMAN.

to render visible the bringing said hood

